₦airaland Forum

I agree with Op.

This is so wrong on all levels. Diamond bank should do the needful. These scammers need to be exposed and taken out of circulation. Op should also involve the EFCC asap. Mynd44

What can I say? Times are difficult.

GTb

Impressive.

Lovely babies.

FG needs to act asap. This can literally cut-off communities from each other and development.

Way to go. Naija sure needs more of this sort of FDI.

blexxonmak:
@Lafem. Has migrated to 201.

Thanx boss. I doubt my 3m can nail it here in Lag, one may need 4m and above. I for no believe say pesin still fit get MBC on Nile until I saw GeorgeD's screenshots.

GeorgeD1:
@50emeka,

MBCs on nilesat are still on the same frequency as before, no changes:

11938v 27500sr

Pls, is that Nilesat 101 or 201? ?

blexxonmak:
@benzberch. For the MBC package on Nilesat 201,you need 1.8 m if you are up North,3 m in SE and 4 m in SS

How about SW? Will 3m nail it?

What I would like to know is.. these so-called 'vandals' that burst these gas pipelines, are they spirits? Can't they be apprehended and used as an example?

Ambode Ni jare!

But why is GEJ silent on Fayose's plight ? Fayose, your own don finish o.

Yimu. JK is PDP's hope of resurrecting and retooling the PDP's comatose machinery. But Dem don fail already.

Interesting opinion, to say the least.

Hoii:
Also a pastor in Redeemed Christian Church of God

If so then he could actually add value to Buhari's deficiencies, especially the extremist tag that just won't go away!

tosag:
Wrong choice. Oshiomhole would have been the perfect VP to Buhari. APC already got large followership in the SW. Oshios would have been able to collect some votes from the SS.

I disagree. GEJ has the SS and SE votes locked.

The APC Presidential flag-bearer has finally put an end to speculations on who becomes his Vice with the adoption of Yemi Osibanjo as his running mate ahead of other candidates thrown up for the position like Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.

...Details later.

Culled from: http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/breaking-buhari-picks-osibanjo-running-mate

EXCLUSIVE: PDP governors begged Obasanjo not to launch ‘acidic’ book before 2015 polls



The December 4 visit of five governors to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta was meant to stop the release of his book, My Watch, TheCable can report.


The five governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had held a closed-door meeting with Obasanjo, amidst media reports that it was meant to make him campaign for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan whom he had been openly criticising. Obasanjo later told the media that “we discussed about security, about the economy, about things you all know. We looked at these issues very objectively and we came to the conclusion that, yes we have a bad situation but not irretrievably bad because something can still be done”.


TheCable can now report that the major reason for the meeting was meant to persuade Obasanjo not to release the book, which is highly unflattering of Jonathan. Jonathan had got wind of the “acidic” characterisation of him by Obasanjo in the book and the timing of the release was considered politically damaging, coming less than two months to the presidential election.


The five governors in attendance are: Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Babangida Aliu of Niger, Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi.


When the meeting failed to persuade Obasanjo to delay the book till after the February 14 presidential poll, a decision was reached by some party chieftains that Kashamu Buruji, a former ally of Obasanjo, should get a court injunction to stop the release.


Certain portions of the book had described Buruji, a south-west PDP chieftain, as a drug pusher and fugitive. The court order did not stop Obasanjo from releasing the book as he claimed it had already been published by the time the injunction was granted. The court has subsequently found him guilty of contempt and ordered that the book be confiscated.


Although the aspects related to Jonathan are considered damaging, the fact that Obasanjo also took on so many people in the book, including his former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, his daughter, Iyabo, and former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, seems to have watered down the spotlight on the president.


Obasanjo wrote on Jonathan: “After watching, reaching out to, studying, talking to, and listening to the president himself and the people around him, I came, sadly, to a number of conclusions that mark Jonathan out as a man of adequate intelligence to run the affairs of Nigeria but lacking in broad vision, knowledge, confidence, understanding, concentration, capacity, sense of security, courage, moral and ethical principles, character and passion to move the nation forward on a fast trajectory.


Although he might wish to do well, he does not know how nor does he have the capacity to. “To compound his problem he has not surrounded himself with aides sufficiently imbued with the qualities and abilities to help him out. Most of them are greedy hangers-on or hungry lacklustre characters interested only in their mouths and their pockets.


“Whatever the misgivings in some quarters, Goodluck Jonathan obtained a credible enough margin of votes in the 2011 presidential elections to feel confident and ready to manage the affairs of Nigeria well, give hope, raise and fulfil expectations, make Nigerians proud at home and respected abroad, and lead in good democratic governance. “At first, he took some right steps in seeking out good men and women for his cabinet. Except for a few, I myself would have appointed most of the same people he selected. But as I have said, having smart people as ministers and advisers is not enough.


A leader must have the knowledge, vision, understanding, will, competence, integrity, courage and transparency, and engender trust, confidence and respect to lead the team without fear, favour or undue familiarity. “It would appear that beyond putting that team together for clearance by the Senate and deploying them to ministries, not much else was accomplished. In fact, immediately after the elections, it would appear that contrary to the position taken by Jonathan before the elections to be a one-term president, all his moves were towards the idea of a second term. I wondered, could it be that his aides were manoeuvring and strategising on his behalf? But I would not buy the idea of presidential innocence.”

Read more at: http://thecable.ng/revealed-pdp-governors-begged-obasanjo-not-launch-acidic-book-2015-polls | TheCable

Am still on the fence on this one. But one thing I'd like to ask GEJ supporters is this: WHAT WILL THE PRESIDENT DO IN HIS SECOND TERM (ASSUMING HE WINS) THAT HE CAN'T DO NOW TO STOP THIS BOKO-HARAM MADNESS? I hate to imagine this current carnage going on for another 4-years. In fairness, I believe he's performed well in a lot of ways, but the insecurity headache is a HUGE problem for me.

Thanx in anticipation.

APC Reps plot to impeach Jonathan thickens

By Emman Ovuakporie

ABUJA-TWENTY four hours to House of Representatives resumption, members of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC impeachment plot against President Jonathan gathers momentum.

Also, there are indications that about 20 PDP members in the House may defect to the main opposition party tomorrow.

Lawmakers of other parties in the House aggrieved that they lost out at the recently concluded primaries are also decamping to APC.
One of the arrowheads of the impeachment project that spoke to Vanguard under the condition of anonymity at the weekend confirmed that the idea is not “dead” as being insinuated in certain quarters.

More details soon
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/12/apc-reps-plot-impeach-jonathan-thickens/#sthash.pFYBqWTE.dpuf

Pot calling Kettle black. Didn't Body George also impose Agbaje, a decampee from DPA, on his own party folks? These people must really think Nigerians are stewpid.

jaytee01:
This is exactly what will happen to Orji in Abia, Akpabio in Akwa Ibom, Chime in Enugu and Elechi in Ebonyi.

We are waiting for them.

KPOM! The Chime own sure pass! I recall that Chime himself rebelled against his 'godfather', Nnamani, and practically sent him on exile from the state during much of his tenure. Ironically, the same Chime has now 'anointed' his successor in the person of Ifeanyi Ugwanyi against much opposition from within the state chapter of the PDP. Truth is, all 'godsons' covet becoming 'godfathers' themselves. And the merry-go-round continues.

By: LEKE SALAUDEEN

President Goodluck Jonathan would need all the votes he can get in the southern part of the country to stand a chance of winning next year’s presidential election. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN x-rays his chances in the Southwest, which may turn out to be the President’s Achilles’ heels in the South.


The Southwest geo-political zone is probably the only part of the South where President Goodluck Jonathan would experience an uphill task in his bid to secure a second term during next year’s general elections. Against this background, Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been making frantic efforts to woo the people of the region, to ensure the party’s victory at the first balloting.


Indeed, the PDP and its strategists in the Presidency are believed to be jittery over the realisation that losing the Southwest might cost them the presidential election. Similarly, the party is also apprehensive over its fate in the Northwest and Northeast zones.


The PDP’s calculation, according to analysts, is that if the President defeats the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southwest and secures 25 per cent in all the states in the Northwest and Northeast, he could avoid the second ballot.


In 2011, Jonathan polled 2,786,410 votes from the Southwest, the stronghold of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is one of the opposition parties that metamorphosed into the APC. Despite the fact that the ACN fielded a presidential candidate, Jonathan came first in all the Southwest states, except Osun. A breakdown of the figure shows that he polled the highest vote of 1,281,688 in Lagos State; 487,758 in Oyo; 309,170 in Ogun; 135,009 in Ekiti; 387,376 in Ondo and 188,409 in Osun.


Realising that he had neglected the zone, President Jonathan embarked on an image-laundering tour of the region, which climaxed at an event in Ile-Ife, Osun State, dubbed the Yoruba Progress Summit, where the President pledged that he would take proper care of the Yoruba, if re-elected next year. Jonathan said at the summit, which was held at the Oduduwa Hall of the institution, described the Southwest as a key part of Nigeria that his administration must work with.


The summit was organised by the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF), which is made up of some members of the Afenifere and Yoruba elders sympathetic to Jonathan’s administration. The President had earlier in the year visited some traditional rulers in the zone, to seek their endorsement for his re-election bid.


The question now is: on the day of election, how would Jonathan fare in the Southwest, which is an APC stronghold? Analysts are of the opinion that the factor working against Jonathan’s interest in the region is the perceived marginalisation of the zone under his administration. They argue that it will be difficult for Jonathan to replicate his 2011 feat in the Southwest, including Ekiti and Ondo states, which are governed by the PDP. The analysts are of the view that in spite of the massive support Jonathan received from the people of the Southwest in 2011, his administration has not done much for the region.


To a pan-Yoruba movement, the Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG), it is too late for President Jonathan to woo the Yoruba nation to back his re-election bid. The ARG Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, described the summit organised by the YUF in Ile-Ife as an after-thought and a futile effort to sneak the President into Yoruba land through the backdoor.


Famoriyo said: “For the past five years under his administration, the Yoruba people have been deliberately marginalised and skewed out of national reckoning, especially in terms of key appointments and opportunity to partake in key sectors of the economy.”We are surprised that President Jonathan believes the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, over which he has no control, is enough to atone for the deliberate marginalisation in key appointments, over which he has control.”


The ARG scribe dismissed the summit by saying that it was conveyed by the people who are falsely parading themselves as leaders of the Yoruba people. “Those Yoruba persons posing as Yoruba leaders know that leadership in Yoruba land resides in treasured virtues of Omoluwabi and Afenifere philosophy, not necessarily in persons. Yoruba people know their leaders.


“We dare say that more than any so-called leader at that event (Yoruba Progress Summit), those students who braved all the odds to tell Mr. President the truth, are the true leaders; irrespective of their origins. We salute the courage of those students who spoke truth in the face of oppression and we enjoin every Nigerian to replicate their courageous act,” the ARG spokesman argued.


Civil Rights activist Moshood Erubami castigated President Jonathan for what he described as total neglect of the Southwest. Erubami said: “No real Yoruba man or woman who supports a pan-Yoruba political and developmental agenda will vote for Jonathan in the coming election, because the Southwest has not gained anything from his administration.


The civil rights activist argued: “There is no tangible thing President has done since he took over from the late President Yar’Adua to warrant his being given a ticket to re-contest the election. Obviously, most of those who constitute the Yoruba elders in the current move to pacify the race to vote for him are enemies of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo during his lifetime and obviously it has continued after his death.
“The frequent visits of these elders to the seat of power and the toothy smile usually on their faces when coming out of Aso Rock says it all that they are not true Awoists. Most of the Afenifere leaders in the group asking for Jonathan’s re-election are those who felt betrayed by the consistent Awoists who populate the All Progressives Congress (APC).


“We cannot therefore put the destinies of the Yoruba race in the hands of the present flock of the Yoruba elders who are friends of Jonathan, using crass opportunism to stay alive and think the task of restoring the Yoruba nation to its pride of place can be achieved. The task of bringing the race to its desirable height is too vital to be left in the hands of political jobbers. For real development to be achieved, these elders must first be rejected, displaced and replaced.”


Curiously, the leaders of YUF rooting for Jonathan’s second term had earlier expressed disappointment over what they described as systematic marginalisation of the Southwest in federal appointments. For instance, a chieftain of the Afenifere who is also a leader of the YUF, Senator Femi Okunrounmu, confirmed that the Yoruba leaders had made representation to the President over the perceived marginalisation of Southwest by his administration.


Okunrounmu said: “We (Yoruba leaders) had met with Jonathan to complain about the marginalisation of the Yoruba, but he has not done anything about it. So, we have decided to pay him another visit. We have already made our intention known to the Presidency. We are now waiting for the President to give us an appointment.


“We have the details of the situation which we intend to present to the President. It is as if the Southwest has been excised from the country. If you look at all the top political positions and appointments in the country, it is not hard to see that Southwest has been marginalised in this administration.”


Another chieftain of the Afenifere, Chief Olu Falae, alleged that the President’s pattern of appointments with no consideration for the Yoruba suggests that he does not appreciate their contribution to his emergence as the President.


Falae pointed out that the Yoruba were sidelined in appointments and control of political offices. He listed the topmost positions as that of the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, President of the Court of Appeal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Security Adviser and Head of Service of the Federation.


The former Secretary to the Federal Government argued that none of these offices was being occupied by a Yoruba, stressing that the absence of Yoruba in the power hierarchy had adversely affected the zone.


Another Yoruba elder decried the Yoruba marginalisation by the Jonathan administration. He said: “the relegation of the Yoruba is not just in higher hierarchy of government but also in agencies, parastatals, and corporations. A situation where the total appointments for the entire Southwest fall short of those of certain states elsewhere in the country suggests either a deliberate effort to ignite ethnic resentment or a glaring outcome of total collapse of coordination in the machinery and records of government. Available data indicate that the Yoruba have lost more than half of their appointive positions since the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua. For instance, eight general managers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were sacked in October 2012, six of whom were Yoruba.


Public affairs analyst, Bisi Akintunde said President Jonathan should not expect bulk vote from the Southwest in 2015. He said what happened in 2011 will not play out this time around. “Jonathan got sympathy votes in the Southwest not because of the PDP but because he came from the minority group that had never ruled this country. The same Jonathan has squandered that opportunity and relegated the Southwest to the background in the scheme of things.


“Despite the goodwill the people of the Southwest accorded him in 2011, what did they benefit from his government? Jonathan should not be misled by the self-serving leaders of the PDP in the Southwest that the Yoruba would vote for him in 2015. The so-called leaders lack electoral value; some of them cannot win in their wards.”


He described the Southwest as the traditional home of the progressives. “I don’t see a situation where by the Yoruba would for any reason this time around abandon the APC, which was co-founded by their leaders and other like minds across the country. Besides, the politics of the Southwest is based on principle and peoples interest,” he added.


Akintunde said: “Whoever bothers to study the pattern of reaction of the electorate in the Southwest would agree that the zone is inhabited by independent-minded people, whose reactions to political issues are determined by several factors, including high-level of education and political sophistry and obviously reactions to matters pertaining to their political leaders and environment.”


Former PDP National Vice Chairman in the Southwest, Senator Yinka Omilani aligned himself with the position of the Yoruba elders, who are insisting that President Jonathan has marginalised the region. He said: “I share their view. We don’t deserve it at all. The people of the Southwest voted massively for Jonathan in 2011. It is a general cake that has to be shared among those who contributed to the baking of the cake.


“We went to Abuja on this issue. All the PDP governors and leaders were there to confront President Jonathan. He promised to rectify the anomaly after 2015 elections. Apart from the ministerial appointment, which is constitutional, what have we gained from Jonathan’s regime so far? We have nothing to show for the massive support he got from Southwest in 2011.”



Culled from: http://thenationonlineng.net/new/2015-far-can-jonathan-go-southwest/

Obi, Obiano’s cold war worsens

by CHARLES OKEKE


It was barely few weeks to the day when the primary election for the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was held, precisely sometime in August, 2013. Then Chief Willie Obiano in company with some few associates, stormed the state headquarters of APGA in Awka, the Anambra State capital, where he was introduced to key members of the State Executive Committee of the Party as the preferred candidate, having been anointed by the immediate-past governor, Chief Peter Obi, who was considered to be his long-time friend and associate.

Obiano was full of enthusiasm and sure of victory as he spoke to the Party leaders in August, promising that he would make APGA stronger and that everybody would be made happy when he becomes governor.

Obiano, there, gave insights into what he would do if allowed to succeed Obi, saying, “I will continue with the good works of Obi and that is why I am contesting; all that Obi is doing, we would continue from there. I will help to make APGA one of the strongest parties in Nigeria.”

And by the time he concluded the interaction, it was clear to the discerning minds that Obi had chosen Obiano to succeed him ,and it was therefore not surprising that the primary election of the APGA which involved no fewer than six aspirants, which held on September, 2013 at the Women Development Centre, Awka, eventually became a mere formality. Obiano coasted to victory with about 817 votes.

Those who contested in the said primary and lost are Chief John Nwosu, Hon. Uche Ekwunife, Hon. Emeke Nwogbo, Chief Paul Odenigbo, Chief John Emeka and Pat Obianwu. It was a contest in which almost 90 percent of the delegates voted for Obiano.

Having been crowned as the candidate of APGA, the stage was set for the subsequent victory that was achieved when he won the governorship election held in November, 2013 after defeating Comrade Tony Nwoye of PDP, Dr Chris Ngige of the defunct ACN, Dr Ifeanyi Uba of Labour Party and Chief Godwin Ezeemo and PPA.

Obiano was eventually sworn in as governor on March 17, 2014,at an elaborate ceremony which took place at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, with Peter Obi and other top dignitaries in attendance.

After the swearing-in ceremony, the crowds dispersed with high expectation that the hitherto cordial relationship between Obiano and Peter Obi would continue, especially, considering the fact that most of the political appointees in Obiano’s government were recommended by Obi.

However, barely nine months into the life of Obiano’s administration, stories were rife that the two friends are now waging a war of attrition against each other and that they have since parted ways, a situation that has made the public wondering whether it is really true that a serious rift is now existing between Governor Obiano and Obi, or not.

Although the two parties and their supporters have not openly admitted that there exists a serious quarrel between them, the facts on the ground show the contrary and to the effect that, actually, there is an ongoing ‘war’ between Obiano and Obi, a war that has divided supporters of the two camps and created casualties, especially on Obi’s side. And for now, nobody knows exactly the main cause of their rift and why they are fighting at this critical period in the history of Anambra State, when it is expected that they would remain the best of friends in the interest of Anambra people.

Genesis of the rift:

The widening gulf between Governor Obiano and Obi started to manifest when it became clear that Obi has never attended any major event or function hosted by his successor since the day the new governor took over power. This was a development that sent tongues wagging, to the extent that people began to speculate that the rift was real.

And as the speculation grew, the matter grew worse when some APGA members of the House of Representatives defected from the Party and joined the PDP, a move that jolted the supporters of Obiano who allegedly felt that it was Obi that engineered the defection ,as many of the defectors were his key loyalists.

The dust raised by the sudden defection of APGA House of Reps members has not settled when Obi took a strategic political move and joined PDP, where he is now a key factor for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Obi had at a ceremony held at his Onitsha residence said he left APGA for the reasons that his Party leader and Board of Trustees Chairman posts which were conferred on him shortly before he left office were not ratified and that he wanted to be directly involved for the re-election of Jonathan in the interest of the entire Ndigbo and the South-East, the reasons those he left behind in APGA have rejected.

Already, the two feuding parties have since gone on the offensive, with their supporters trading tirades in the media.

And as the feud continued with no end in sight, the casualties have been rising to the extent that it is being alleged that Hon. Afam Ogene and Hon. Emeke Nwogbo, both serving APGA members of the House of Representatives who had just lost their bids to carry the Party’s flag again in 2015 were allegedly punished due to their closeness to Obi.



Emerging casualties:

Apart from Ogene and Nwogbo who have been hit frontally, there have been retinue of other casualties and victims of the ensuing rift between Obiano and Obi, drawn from APGA and political appointees who were reported to be afraid to come in the open and relay their experiences.

And from the knowledge of hindsight, there were allegations that Dubem Obaze, an Obi acolyte is now fighting the greatest political battle of his life to grab the Anambra Central Senatorial ticket of APGA which he allegedly won during the Senatorial primary of the Party held in Onitsha.

Defending the contentious way Emeke Nwogbo lost the APGA ticket for Awka South and North Federal Constituency during the nerve-wracking primary that took place at the BarnHill Resort and Park in Awka recently, one of Obiano’s aides who supervised the exercise told Sunday Mirror that it was the decision of the Party leaders to give tickets to their preferred aspirants.

According to the Special Adviser, “The Party leaders have taken the person they wanted and have given him a certificate of return and there is nothing one can do about that.”

So far, there is no sign that a ceasefire is in sight in the Obi/Obiano rift, more so when the footsoldiers of the two key feuding Anambra political leaders are now well dug in and positioned to throw more hard punches, all in the bid to beat the opponent and come out tops at the end of the day.


Culled from: http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/war-of-godfather-godson-how-obi-obiano-parted-ways/

Governorship Race: How States May Vote

Abu Nmodu, Achor Abimaje, Ankeli Emmanuel, Nnamdi Mbawike, stanley nkwocha, Yahya Sarki
— Dec 14, 2014

With the close of primaries for all elective public offices as set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Friday, candidates of all political parties have emerged and set to slug it out at the 2015 general elections.

While the primaries in some states went without hitches, in most states of the federation and across party lines, the primaries only threw up discontent feelings and rejections which in turn may alter political permutations in some states, especially in the governorship race.

While not discounting the role the courts will play in possibly upturning governorship candidates for next year’s election, it is rife to state that while voting patterns in the states in the past could be easily predictable, with the merger of political parties into the opposition APC, needless to state that the dynamics, permutations, local indices, individuals, religious and ethnic inclinations which play big roles in elections will help shape the decision of those who will emerge as governors in 2015.

In Adamawa State for instance, LEADERSHIP Sunday’s investigations revealed that the state which has been an enclave of the PDP since 1999 is up against a real test, this time in the hands of the APC.

Needless to state that the fallouts from the primary, which held in Abuja and produced Nuhu Ribadu saw powerful chieftains and party stalwarts staying away from the primary and subsequently national convention of the PDP, is a warning signal for PDP in the state.

Except the PDP quickly mends it’s fences and assuages the anger of its vast and powerful politicians in the state, LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that the aggrieved stalwarts are plotting to engage acts detrimental to the party to send a message. Except realignments are quickly made by the PDP, it may be safe to give Adamawa to the APC, where Senator Jubrilla Bindow holds sway.

In Akwa Ibom, a straight fight is expected between Emmanuel Udom of the PDP and APC’s Umana Umana .

Akwa Ibom, which has largely been a PDP state since 1999, is still expected to get stuck to the party, even though APC will not be a pushover at next year’s election as Umana will show the “political lion” in him and give his erstwhile boss, Akpabio, a run for his money.

Known for his political boisterousness, Akpabio is seen as a politician that cannot be shoved aside easily.

In Abia State, except in 2007 when former governor Orji Uzor Kalu dared the gods with his Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) and enthroned incumbent Governor T. A. Orji, the state has largely tilted towards the PDP.

However, it would be an overstatement for the commercial state to be comfortably handed over to the PDP.

The much-touted non-performance of the incumbent governor has put off a lot of electorate who would rather look elsewhere. Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP knows very well that he is up in a tight race against APGA’s Alex Otti. Regrettably, APC will not have a huge say in the governorship of the state come 2015. Abia will be a tight race.

In Bauchi State, “too close to call” best describe who may likely emerge as the governor, even as it is safe to state that the battle will be mainly between the PDP’s Mohammed Awwal Jatau and Barr. Muhammed Abubakar of the APC.

Known to possess highly sophisticated electorates who are not moved by parties but by individual candidates and their antecedents, Bauchi State is yet another state where the governorship tussle will not be easily predictable.

For both Jatau and Abubabakar, theirs is a fate that will ultimately be decided by the electorates, while the Buhari factor may play to the advantage of the APC’s candidate, though incumbency and federal might are enough to counter Buhari’s threat.

In Borno State, analysts opine that it will be a one-way cruise for incumbent Governor Kashim Shettima as the PDP, following the entry of Ali Modu Sheriff, has found it difficult to harness its interests and become potent.

The nomination of Gambo Lawal by the PDP has made things more difficult for the party, as he is largely seen as a “detached politician” who abandoned the state during its crisis, but has now strolled in during the election.

Kashim Shettima, even without the support of Buhari, has worked tirelessly to sell himself to his people despite the security situation in the state, and now, largely commands huge followership. Needless, to state that the controversy surrounding Ali Modu Sheriff over complications with the Boko Haram has further put the PDP to be in some sort of political island. It is very safe to handover Borno State to Shettima and the APC.

In Kaduna State, another indefinite situation exists as it could go either way. Both Ramalan Yero of the PDP and Nasir el-Rufai of the APC have found a match in themselves.

Highly political, Kaduna State has become the revolving ground for Northern politics. However, while it easily becomes the natural choice for “political plotting” in the north, it is never easy for it in terms of state politics. The ruling PDP has not allowed Kaduna to go off its grip since 1999 as regards governorship; however, Yero will have to do more if he is to wade off the threat of the APC and maintain the status quo.

In Kano State, while it may be safe to handover Kano to the Abdullahi Ganduje’s APC on paper, internal intrigues in the state suggest that the very sophisticated state’s electorate who share same traits as those of Bauchi State may favour Sagir Takai of the PDP.

As things stand now, it is the Kano electorate and who they favour that will pick the governorship of the state, as the electorate are known never to play party politics but go for individuals.

In Enugu, close followers of Enugu politics believe that the consensus candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who is currently serving as a member of the Federal House of Representatives will have a smooth ride to government house in 2015.

It could be recalled that Governor Sullivan Chime and a faction of the PDP loyal to him had announced Ugwuanyi as the consensus candidate of the party after series of meetings. Even though there was an initial rift between Governor Sullivan Chime and Ekweremadu, their appearance at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, venue of the primary of the PDP where Ugwuanyi emerged as winner, has given him an edge over other contestants.

The voting pattern in Sokoto will be between the state and the federal might.

With the defection of the state governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and shortly followed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the battle line seems to have been visibly drawn.

The transfer of aggression seems to have become even stiffer as Speaker Tambuwal won the APC gubernatorial ticket. Hence, the assumption that the federal government might be all out to take their pound of flesh by ensuring his defeat at the poll comes 2015.

The emergence of Ambassador Abdallah Wali as the PDP gubernatorial candidate and the support he enjoys from former governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa might not guarantee victory for the PDP, as Wamakko with his state grassroots support is said to be hundred percent behind Tambuwal.

In Plateau State, despite all the political conspiracy, Senator Gyang Pwajok representing Plateau North in the National Assembly has won the Plateau PDP governorship primary election to pick the PDP ticket in spite of opposition to his aspiration over zoning and with the iron grip that PDP has always had in the state; it is a safe bet to assume that the dominant party will win the governorship in 2015.

In Kebbi State, the fallout from the just-concluded party congresses may also have a significant impact on the chances of the parties before the public. The events leading to the emergence of Kebbi governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Gen. Sarin Yaki Bello (rtd) on December 9, 2014, during the nationwide party congress has generated a lot of controversies and heat within the party. Already the party is engrossed in another problem of zoning or rotational system of power. The agitation of political dominance from Zuru, Yauri and Argungu emirates against Gwandu emirate is now pronounced more than anytime. The other emirates felt that the overbearing power of Gwandu emirate in the politics of the state will not allow them to have a test of the most coveted seat of power in the state. That however may not stop the party from clinching the post in 2015 as the APC and its candidate, Senator Atiku Bagudu, are still relatively not rooted in the state.

In Ogun State, the election of the incumbent governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, as the flag-bearer of the All Progressives Congress and the iron grip that the APC seems to have in the state may just ensure it emerging victorious in 2015. His chances have been helped by the crisis that has engulfed the PDP in the state.

Amosun, ordinarily, should have gone to sleep, assured of victory in 2015. But the crisis that engulfed his party which ultimately led to the exit of the group loyal to former governor, Segun Osoba, is a big dent. Analysts believe that if the governor puts his house in order, while the crisis bedevilling PDP in the state continues, the governor will still emerge victorious in the 2015 polls.

In Niger State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have their areas of stronghold. Whereas PDP does very well in most elections in Niger north predominantly Nupes, the Niger north is always for the legacy parties that form APC.

In Niger south, it is assumed that PDP always do well in the area because the area is allegedly vulnerable to influence of money and respect for people in position of authority, whereas Niger north is assumed to be politically sophisticated.

As it is today, the APC, because of the desire for change, may have natural followership, but the snag is that the party and the campaign organisation of the candidates of the opposition party may not be able to withstand the financial strength of the PDP.


Culled from: http://leadership.ng/news/395027/governorship-race-states-may-vote

Wike is Rivers next gov, says Patience Jonathan

DECEMBER 14, 2014 BY CHUKWUDI AKASIKE

The wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has restated her endorsement for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

The First Lady, who spoke at the burial ceremony of Senator Tari Sekibo in Okrika on Saturday, expressed her confidence that Wike would be the next governor of the state.

It was her second public endorsement of Wike.

Jonathan, while addressing Okirika Council of Chiefs at the event, said, “Before you today is the next governor of Rivers State. He is the former Minister of State for Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike.

“The PDP is the best party and the most popular party in the country. The PDP is the leading party that will win Rivers State.”

The First Lady said she would continue to stand by those committed to the inclusive development of the people of the state and not leaders who insist on emasculating other groups through policies that will displace them.

She pointed out that such leaders would also not be allowed to produce their successor in the state, adding that their anointed successor had been briefed to continue with similar divisive policies.

On the virtues of late Sekibo, Jonathan said the former lawmaker believed in development and was committed to making sacrifices for the growth of the nation.

Culled from: http://www.punchng.com/news/wike-is-rivers-next-gov-says-patience-jonathan/